BOROUGH council offices will close and services stopped as part of the UK's biggest industrial action since the General Strike of 1926.

The nationwide one-day walk-out next Tuesday involves staff such as refuse collectors, teaching assistants and school cooks, as well as civilian police support staff like 999 call handlers and forensic teams.

Unions are angry at Government plans to scrap a rule allowing some staff to retire on a full pension at 60.

Councils say that costs mean this must rise to 65 for all employees.

Up to 1.5m staff across Britain will take part in the walk-out following a ballot of trade unions - including Unison, Transport & General Workers and the GMB. They warn there could be more industrial action in the run-up to the local elections in May.

Next Tuesday, all borough council offices will be closed and council services will not be available.

Borough chief executive Stephen Ewbank said: 'We are making plans to get the services back to normal as soon as possible after this one day strike.'

Further information about the changes to council services will be provided to customers over the next week through posters and the Press.

Cheshire County Council spokesman Ian Callister said: 'We have a great deal of sympathy with concerns about local government pension scheme changes but at the end of the day we have a duty to maintain services as best we can.'

A Cheshire Police Authority spokesman said: 'We and the Chief Constable oppose the Govern-ment's proposed changes to the Local Government Pension Scheme which has resulted in Unison calling for strike action.

'We recognise and support the wish of police staff to have a fair and equitable pension scheme.'

The spokesman added: 'We are concerned that the Government has offered protection to existing employees in other public sector pension schemes (including police officers). However, the Government's proposals will treat those staff in the LGPS, including police staff, differently.'

He said the Constabulary and the authority recognised the need to provide reassurance to the public in the event of industrial action taking place.

'In this regard, we will be ensuring that we maintain essential policing services during the period of any industrial action giving priority to providing a response to the most urgent incidents,' he said.

Union leaders have warned there could be further strikes and other industrial action in the run up to the local council elections in May.